Members of notorious B.C. Red Scorpions gang arrested in Alberta

Members of British Columbia’s notorious Red Scorpions gang have been operating a drug-trafficking network in central and southern Alberta for two years after escaping violence and threats in their home province, police say.

Cory James Lesperance, a 29-year-old B.C. man who police say is a Red Scorpion member, is alleged to be at the centre of this drug distribution ring in Calgary, Airdrie and Red Deer.

Police arrested Lesperance and three gang associates in a series of raids, charging them with a slew of drug and weapons charges after a co-ordinated investigation. Officers may make more arrests and lay additional charges as they attempt to quash the illicit network.

During their raids in the three communities, police seized hundreds of grams of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. They also found heroin, a cocaine lab, anabolic steroids, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, a stolen shotgun with ammunition and nearly $9,000 in cash.

“Demonstrated by the weapons seized, it’s clear that these individuals were willing and able to resort to violence,” said Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta, of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams in Calgary.

Police have linked members of the Red Scorpions to several violent incidents in B.C., including the so-called Surrey Six case, in which six people were slain in a Lower Mainland apartment.

The murders came in the early days of a conflict that mushroomed into a full-scale gang war that lasted for another two years. In one especially deadly month in early 2009, there were 31 shootings, 12 of them fatal.

“The reality is that many B.C. gang members are coming to Alberta to escape violence and threats from their own province because, in gang life, there are only three ways out: death, jail or taking the long, arduous task to exit the game,” Schiavetta said.

The gang members were also drawn to Alberta because of the level of disposable income among its residents, the officer said.

Lesperance is already facing several other drug and weapons charges after police raided homes in Red Deer and Innisfail last November, seizing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and firearms, including several handguns.

“We had information that him and his associates were also involved heavily in the drug trade,” Schiavetta said. “What made this a real priority, obviously, was the access to firearms and the public-safety concern.”

In the Surrey Six case, the Crown alleges the Red Scorpions, led by Michael Le and Jamie Bacon, ordered the murder of drug dealer Corey Lal after he failed to pay the gang a $100,000 tax. When the hit men arrived at a Surrey apartment, they killed five others to eliminate witnesses, the Crown argues.

Le, a founding member of the Red Scorpions, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the hit. Bacon is due to be tried at a later date. Another co-accused, who cannot be named, has also pleaded guilty.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge is expected to deliver a verdict on accused killers Cody Haevischer and Matt Johnston on Oct. 2.

Evidence presented at the trial has lifted a veil on the Red Scorpions’ history and operations, including revelations it was formed in 2005 by teens locked up at a youth detention centre.

Members are largely young men hailing from varying backgrounds, but the gang also employs young women. Membership is fluid, with troops joining and leaving for other splinter gang groups.

The Red Scorpions mimic the Hells Angels’ structure and hierarchy as well as their use of imagery, with gang members sporting Red Scorpion tattoos. Many members have an “RS” tattoo on their wrists, neck or shoulders.

Schiavetta called the recent arrests in Alberta a “significant dent in this organization.” He said the weapons and drugs seized, including 512 grams of meth, 517 grams of cocaine and 52 grams of heroin, offered a “snapshot into their daily activity.” Most of the drugs came from B.C., he said.

“It would be naive for law enforcement in Alberta to think that the level of violence in British Columbia couldn’t happen here,” Schiavetta said, adding this was why it was so important for authorities to collaborate on the case.

With files from Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun and The Canadian Press

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